Most crutches are not appropriately designed for either biomechanical considerations (the way in which the crutch supports and transfers loads during operation) or ergonomic considerations (the way in which the crutch fits the anatomy of a user). The biomechanically derived adjustable crutch described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,123 to Weber et al. (the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein) discloses an adjustable crutch that is both biomechanically appropriate and ergonomically comfortable for the user. This biomechanically derived crutch includes a support leg that is curved both forwardly in a side-view plane and outwardly in a front-view plane with a cantilevered handle angularly offset from both the front-view plane and as horizontal plane. The biomechanically derived crutch further includes an upper portion with a saddle for positioning under the arm that can both pivot from front to back and side to size, and can move vertically. The lower portion has a foot member that is oriented perpendicular to the floor when the crutch is in a resting position.
Although the design of this biomechanically derived crutch presents a significant advance in terms of both proper functionality and improved comfort of the crutch, the need for the crutch to be adjustable to accommodate different user heights and the moveable nature of the saddle relative to the support leg has presented design challenges in making the crutch both stable and durable, especially over extended periods of use. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improvements to a biomechanically derived crutch which can address these challenges.